A GALAXY far, far away is set to land in Palmyra Square to welcome in a series of free family events inspired by the Museum of the Moon coming to Warrington.

Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival plans to immerse Queens Gardens in a blaze of light and colour, from 5.30pm to 10.30pm on Friday, as this year’s space-themed Contemporary Arts Festival makes its striking debut.

Presenting the town’s first ‘Light Night’, the launch event is set to introduce Warrington families to a collection of world-class art and performance displays, from giant, light-up musical instruments to displays by street performers.

Here is what you can expect:

SUBMERGENCE

Warrington Guardian:

One installation that is guaranteed to catch visitors’ eyes is Squidsoup’s magical Submergence – an immersive and fully accessible walk-through experience featuring thousands of suspended lights.

Holly Jones, from Culture Warrington, said: “Presenting a number of different cycles, each emitting its own character or mood, this mesmerising piece invites visitors to interpret it in their own unique way and to lose themselves in a blur of colour.”

ILLUMAPHONIUM

Warrington Guardian:

Another key piece is Illumaphonium, illuminated sculpture that is also a giant musical instrument that can be played by multiple people at once.

Consisting of more than 100 glowing chime bars, the installation is fully responsive to touch and presents ever-changing patterns of light and sound.

SOUND HOUSE

Warrington Guardian:

Completing this trilogy of light and sound installations is The Kazimier, a Liverpool-based company specialising in multimedia shows.

Holly added: “Introducing the Sound House, The Kazimier promises to take visitors on a musical journey through a range of sonic landscapes that are synchronised to spellbinding laser beams and custom lighting to create a truly meditative effect.”

STREET PERFORMERS

Wandering among these three installations will be a group of street performers interacting with the crowds. Astro Alien dance duo will be joined by actors from Ludovico Studio, Warrington’s own theatre class led by former Hollyoaks actor Darren Jeffries.

Other highlights include 2Faced Dance Company, a dance and circus company presenting their appropriately named piece Moon, which tells the story of a young man’s encounter with the Moon.

Featuring British Sign Language and audio description throughout, it is a fully inclusive and family-friendly piece.

STREET FOOD

In addition to a jam-packed schedule of activities and performances, Light Night also features street food and drink vendors selling a variety of treats from pizza and tapas to mouth-watering desserts.

Leah Biddle, cultural manager at Culture Warrington – the charity that runs Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival – said: “We’re so excited to be hosting Warrington’s first Light Night outside Parr Hall.

“All the team have been working so hard to make this a truly memorable evening and we feel so privileged to be collaborating with such high-calibre acts.

“Our aim for this year’s Contemporary Arts Festival is to make it as accessible, inclusive and as family-friendly as possible and we’re confident that this exciting programme ticks every single box.

“I look forward to welcoming you all to our grand opening.”

  • Light Night also offers families the chance to catch their first glimpse of the star of this year’s festival, Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon, which will be on display in Parr Hall from tomorrow, Friday, until Monday, October 14
  • Warrington Museum and Art Gallery is joining in the fun by extending its opening hours until 8pm to allow visitors in Queens Gardens the chance to enjoy an early look at this year’s Contemporary Arts Festival open exhibition and cast their vote for the People’s Choice award.